Bridge signal



J. S. EBAY BRIDGE SIGNAL E Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, .1924

July 15 1924. LSQLSM J. s. BAY

BRIDGE SIGNAL Filed Feb. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Sm mu;

Application filed February 11, was. Serial m. senses.

of a float supported by a suitable steel To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. BAY, a citizen of' the United States, 'residin at the city and county of. Denver and tate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge Signals; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to signals for railways and has special reference to a'signal intended primarily for use in connection with railway bridges, to set a danger signal if the water in the stream should rise above a certain level or if the bridge should be destroyed by fire.

In many parts of our country the railways cross streams of various sorts. of these are mere rivulets and even dry ditches for the most part of the year, but in time of storm these very often become raging torrents. It has frequently happened that bri ges have been washed away or so badl won (1 fall throu h bridge. As thei vided with any special signaling means, the engineer has had no warning and in several instances has driven the train onto the bridge, only to have it fall through and into the river bed.

Instances have also occurred in which bridges have been destroyed by fire, leaving the rails suspended across the stream in such a manner that the block signal, which would become erative if the rail had been broken, did not operate.

I1; is the object of this invention to prodamaged by floods that the train when it entered upon the duce a simple and inexpensive mechanism that may be applied to any existing bridge and which shall be so constructed that it will cause a danger signal to be set whenever the water in the stream rises above a predetermined level and in case the bridge is damaged by fire. My signal is so constructed that after it has been set into operation, it will be automatically disconnected from the bridge so that it Wlll continue its operation. regardless of what happens to the bridge structure.

My invention, briefly described, consists Some ridges have not been pro-.

framework .at a height corresponding to the danger level of the water. When the water rises above this level, it .raises the float and this causes a switch to be closed, whereby a motor is set 'into operation and moves a si nal arm to which red lights are attache When the motor starts, it automatically disconnects the wires running to the bridge and makes connections directly to the source of electrical energy. In case of fire the signal is set into operation by means of a thermal circuit closer.

My invention can. be most clearly described and most readily understood when reference is bad to the accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a railroad brid e with the signal posts on each side thereo Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a bridge and shows the manner in which the float-operated switch is supported and the manner in which the thermal circuit closers are attached to the bridge;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the thermal circuit closers;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of signal posts;

Fig. 5 is a view, to an enlarged scale, of a circuit-changing mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the manner in which the current to the signal lights is intermittently broken.

Numeral 1 designates a bridge of any type which spans a stream, indicated by numeral 2. On each side of the stream I place a plurality of signal osts 3, 4 and 5. Of course a greater num er may be used if desired and the-number may be reduced to a single one, but in my opinion it is desirable to employ three si als in the manner shown. Signal posts 4 an 5 carry a single stationary red light only while signal st 3 carries two red lights secured to the en s of the rotatable arm 6.

The signal post 3 is secured to the top of a housing 7 which encloses a motor 8 and a battery 9. which is referably located in a frostroof pit 10. )ne end of the motor shaft as a worm 11 that cooperates with a worm wheel 12 secured to the shaft 13 so that when the motor is running it will rotate shaft 13, which is rotatably mounted in bearin s 14 and is provided at its up :wend with a vel gear 15 that mes wi r a a one of the will be hereinafter described. Supported on cement piers 22 is a tower which is preferably formed from corner angles 23 connected by diagonal braces 24. The upper ends of angles 23- are connected by a platform 25 which supportfa plurality of U- shaped bars 26 which serve as a support for the float 27 which may be formed from galvanized iron or sheet copper. A rod 28 is secured to the upper end of the float and grojects through an opening in platform 25.

ecured to the upper side of the platform is an enclosing housing 29 carrying two s aced, insulated terminals 30 and 31. A exiblc conducting member 32 is. secured to terminal 31 and spaced from, but adapted to be moved into contact with the terminal 30.

.Whenever the water level of the stream rises above the lower end of the float 27, it will raise the latter and cause-the upper end of rod 28 to engage the flexible member 32 and move the same against contact 30 so as to electrically connect terminals 30 and 31 which are connected to wires 33 and 34. Se-

cured at spaced intervals to the ties 35 are thermal circuit closers36, the construction of which is shown in Fig. 3, and which cons1st of a cap member 37 that is secured to the underside of the ties by means ofscrews 38. A-circular plate of insulating material 39 has secured to the underside thereof a number of spring terminals 40 whose lower ends approach, but do not touch. Secured to the underside of the plate 39 by means of wax or easily fusible solder is a metal ball 41. Wires 42 and 43 each connect one terminal 40 to the circuit composed of wires 33 and 34; If the bridge catchesffire, the heat will melt the wax or the solder which supports the ball 41 and the latter will drop into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 where it will connect the terminals 40 so that current may flow between wires 33 and 34. The terminals 40 are enclosed by a cover 44 and secured to cap 37 by means of screws 45. Referring now more particularly to Fig.- 5, it will be noted that wire 33 extends to one terminal of the battery 9 and is also connected to the switch terminal 46, while wire 34 connects terminal 30 and one terminal of each of the thermal circuit'closers 36 with the switch terminal 47 A wire 48 extends from the other terminal of the battery .9 ,to

the motor terminal 49, from the other terminal 50 of which a wire 51 extends to the central switch contact 52. The signals 3, 4 and 5, are connected in parallel relation with the motor terminals 49 and 50 so as to be subjected to the counter-electromotive force of the motor. A switch blade 53 is pivoted intermediate its ends at 54 to the central switch contact 52. Switch blade 53 is angular so that it will make connections between the central'c'ontact 52 and either one'of the contacts 46 or 47 A spring 55 holds the switch blade normally in contact with contact 47. To the switch blade 53 I secure an insulating member 56 which serves as a handle fo'r moving the switch blade from one position to the other. For the purpose of throwing the switch from the position shown to a position in which connection is made between contact 52 and 46, I have provided the following means:

Secured to the motor shaft 57 is a cylindrical member 58. This member isheld in place on the shaft by means which revents relative rotation thereon. Secure to the base upon which the motor and the switch aremounted is a bracket 59 which has a square opening near its top for the reception of the square portion 60 of a reci rocable member whose other end is provi ed with square threads 61 and projects into the cylindrical member 58, which has a in 62 extending through the side thereo and into one of the threads. the threaded member there is an annular groove 63.

If the motor rotates in the direction of the arrow 64, it is evident that the reciprocable memberwill be moved to the right owing to the interaction of the pin 62 with the threads 61. When the pin reaches the groove 63, it can rotate freely without causing further movement of the threaded member. Between the square portion 60 and the threaded-portion 63 there is an enlarged portion 65 having a shoulder 66 which engages the upper end of the lever 56 and rotates the switch blade 53 about its pivot 54 in a clockwise direction until it makes contact with the switch contact 46 and breaks contact with the contact 47 Let us now consider a case in which the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 and let us suppose that the float 27 is moved upwardly so as to close the connection between 30 and 32. Current will then flow from the battery 9 through wires 33 and 34 to switch contact 47, thence through switch blade 53 to the central switch contact 52, through wire 51 to motor terminal 50 and from the motor terminal 49 to the battery 9 by way of conductor 48. The motor will now rotate in the direction of the arrow 64 and this will move the enlarged portion 65 to the right and throw Near the inner end of weasel the switch into thepositionin whichblade 53 connects 52 with 4:6; The wire'3e is now with a gong 68 that will be sounded when.

has once been made operative it will con-,

(ill

eliminated from the circuit so that the operation of the signal will not beinterfered with by anything that can hap on to the wires that are connected to the bridge. Since the lamps in the signal posts are connected across the motor, they will continue to low as. long as the motor runs. Arm 6 wil be rotated by the action of the motor and the lamps'c'arried by it will be alternately illuminated and darkened as the brushes 20 and 21 move into and out of contact with segments 19 (Fig. 6). The signals will remain operative until they are stopped, which can only be done by opening the casing 7 and cutting off the current supply to the motor, after which the motor is rotated in the reverse direction until the switch assumes the position shown in Fig; 5.

In order that thesignal shall be and as, well as visible, TI have provided post 3 ever the signal operates.

My thermal circuit closer can be usedin connection with fire alarm systems for schools, residences and other buildings, as well as bridges.

From the above, it will be evident that I have produced a signal means that can be readily applied to bridges and which will become operative whenever the water in the stream rises above what is considered to be a safe level or if the bridge catches afire.

The signal is so constructed that after it tinue to be operative regardless of what ha ens to the bridge.

aving now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A safety signal system for railway bridges comprising, in combination, a brid e, a railway track, a signal post locats b r the side of the track at some distance lrom the bridge, a float-operated switch, means for closing said switch when the water under the bridge rises above a predeterminedlevel, and means comprising said switch for rendering the signal operative when the float-operated switch has closed, said means being independent of said switch after it has been made 0 erative.

2. A safety signal system or railway bridges comprising, in combination, a bridge, a railway track, a signal post located by the side of the track at some distance from the bridge, an open electric circuit, means comprising a switch for closing said circuit when the-water rises above a predetermined level, means for closing said circuit in case the bridge catches fire, means for rendering the signal operative when the circuit has been closed and means for disconnecting said switch and said second means when the circuit has been closed.

3. -A safety signal system for railway bridges comprising, in combination, a

bridge,- a railway track, a plurality of sigbridge, a railwa track, a plurality of signal posts locate at spaced intervals alon the track, a signal lamp attached to eaci post, means associated with one post for rotating the signal lamp, said means comprising a motor, a source of electric energy, an open electric circuit extending along said bridge, means comprising a float-operated switch for closing said circuit when the water rises above a certain level, means for closing said switch when the bridge catches fire, means for rendering the signals operative when the circuit is closed, and means for automatically disconnectingsaid portion of the circuit extending to the bridge when the signals have been rendered operative.

5, In a railway bridge signal system,'in combination, a bridge, a railway track, a plurality of signal posts located along the side of the track on each side of the bridge, one of said signal posts carrying an arm rotatably mounted thereon. a signal lamp in each end of said arm, means for causing said arm to rotate, a source 'of electrical energy, means comprising electrical conductors for connecting the lamps to the source of power, means for alternately making and breaking the circuit to the lamps while they are rotated, an open electric circuit extending from the source of electrical power to the bridge, means for closing said circuit when the water exceeds a predetermined level, said means comprising a float-operated switch, means for closing said circuit in case the bridge burns, said means comprising a thermal circuit closer, and means for disconnecting said portion of the circuit extending to the bridge after the signals have started to operate. 4

in testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. JOHN S. BAY. 

